Everything comes to an end, and unfortunately, my high school and teenage years have also crossed the finish line. Yes, maybe this year wasn’t the year we were all expecting, but we made the best out of it. This is the part where we part ways with almost everyone from that, soon to be, nostalgic place, and continue the rest of our chapters. Obviously, many people have different opinions; for some, it was the worst years and for others the best, but it is something you definitely won’t forget.

“I can’t believe it is really over, with a blink of an eye,” Victor Rodriguez, 12th, said. Life is short but beautiful, and if you don’t stop to look around sometimes, you will miss it. It will not stop for you or for anyone for that matter, so why not cherish every moment? Be lucky to be where you are and most importantly, alive and healthy! Value the presence of your peers, family, personal belongings, and your well-being.

“Lucky for me, I still have a long way to go, but currently I am somewhat enjoying it.” Brissa Acosta, 10th, said. “COVID really is screwing everything up, but I’ll make sure to enjoy whatever is left of my high school days.”

We always hear as child from adults to “enjoy your childhood before it’s gone, because you will sure miss it,” but we never listened, and now look at us, passing the message down to people who are younger than us. As a senior, I look at freshman and sophomores with envy. What I would do to relive what I did in high school, to go back to being young and dumb with little to no responsibilities. Sadly, we grow into adulthood, something inevitable, but we must go on.

“It was definitely a blast for me. I used to have a large group of friend that I hung out with everyday, going to raves, and always laughing around them. Now, I am working for the career I want and filled with responsibilities. If I could, I would definitely relieve it and go back to when everything was better and simpler,” Kimberly Valles, a 21-year-old freshman at Southwest University, said. College is another chapter majority of us have coming towards us at a very fast pace. Be proud of yourself and the people around you for not giving up on that dream of getting into college. Definitely a challenge, but not impossible.

Life is not all sunshine and rainbows; it is a very mean and nasty place and it will hit you with many different things just because it feels like it. It is not about how hard you hit back, it’s about how hard you can get hit and keep moving forward. If it can, it will pin you down to the floor and make you stay there if you let it. It is up to you, and only you, to battle through it and get up. It won’t stop, you will only get stronger every time.